Aborigènes

1. Aborigines

1)° Introduction

2°) Way of life

3°) Aboriginal Art

4°) Belief

5°) How there were treated

6°) Stolen generation

7°) A sustainable development aspect

  1°) What do you know about aborigines? They are the first inhabitants of Australian, Aborigines, they probably migrated from the south of Asia about 40.000 years ago. They were more than 600 tribes when the continent was explored in the 17th century. Two centuries later, English will colonize the land of this people.

2°) Originally, Aborigines are hunter-gatherers and they’ve a deep knowledge of the territory. They move according to the resources they can find on the nature like fruits or prey but also to celebrate certain rites. They were not many dressed, they lived like savages, they were nomads. They also made their huts and shared all their meals together.

3°) It is one of the most artistic peoples of the world. Aboriginal art is found in objects of life. The most popular is the Didgeridoo. T

his instrument is made from a section of trees hollowed out by termites. After an extensive cleaning, the instrument is covered with beeswax. It’s used to accompany traditional songs and dances. After certain sources, it’s the oldest musical instrument of humanity (20.000 ~ 50.000 years old). The boomerang is also well known. This object has multiple functions:  A weapon of throwing, of war or as hunting, a tool for digging the earth or lighting a fire, an object of ceremony or a musical instrument.

4°) The religion of Aborigines is a little bit long but easy to understand.  The Aboriginal belief system is expressed by a lot of oral literature, song and dance. At the heart of this system there’s totemism. (explanation of totemism). So the totemism expresses and explains both the great respect of the aborigines for nature as a whole. Animals, plants, springs, mountains, rocks, etc., to the simple pebble, are invested with a spiritual value linked to the founding myths, the Dream Time.

**Warramurrugundji Créature a forme humaine qui créa la terre et les hommes

5°) As I said before, the continent was colonized by the english. Aborigines were 300.000 to the arrival of whites in Australia in 1788 then only 45,000 in 1966. In 1788 so, the English settlers stole the lands of the Aborigines. They perpetrated massacres, deportations, it’s the beginning of a genocide process. For many years the new white landowners tried to wipe out one of the oldest civilizations on the planet. Since 1993, the Native Title Act has allowed them to recover land.

6°) The whites did not stop at the executions. The therm “stolen generation” refers to aboriginal children, abducted from their parents by a corrupted government, about 1969. Most of them were Metis. They were then taken to orphanages, Christian missions, or given to white foster families. Australians agree that’s the worst thing in their history.

7°) Are Aborigines an example of sustainable development? The Australian aborigines have adapted to these extreme conditions for over 50,000 years. These hunter-gatherer groups survived to the last glaciation during which the sea levels were lower than 100 meters. It is the first civilization and still today they live among us. They had already understood everything about sustainable development. Including by respecting the 3 pillars, their economy is based on raw materials, they share and gain a lot to be in tribes and finally they’re in perfect harmony with nature, they are always cherishing it.

...